While Dubai remains undeniably a metropolitan city full of skyscrapers and fast cars, the culture is heading progressively towards the popularity and reliance on public transport.
As the years went by, Dubai has become more adapt at multiplying the efficiency and availability of its public transport to the general population; so much that it has encouraged or rather allowed thousands of people to leave their cars behind and use the metro and/or public buses instead. This occurs on a daily basis and many residents find their daily lives and commutes unimaginable without it.
Since the launch of Dubai Metro in 2009, 100 million people have commuted on the Dubai Metro, hitting a solid mark for the Roads and Transport Authority. It recently also announced the proud opening of the Green Line with several stations operational. The Red Line is intended to transport passengers from one end of the city to the other, with important landmark stations in between including Mall of the Emirates, Dubai Mall, Business Bay and residential areas including Marina, Jumeirah Lake Towers and Karama. On the other hand, the Green Line has proven itself a useful addition to the Dubai Metro family, allowing people to breeze within districts of Dubai, connecting itself to the red line at landmark stations and taking you in between the scenes.
This 100 million mark proves a cultural change of direction towards the familiarity with public transportation. The RTA has set a target of making sure 30 per cent of journeys in the emirate are taken on public transport by 2030. Last year the figure stood at 11 per cent. The mark of a 100 million passengers was achieved on November 7, 2011.
